How to Configure Video Settings of IP Camera

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IPC/Camera Configuration

Encode Settings

Overview

Understanding the Condition Settings

Some of these settings are better left alone in order to keep a consistent image quality; Brightness Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, and Gamma. Using a monitor calibration tool can help offset the native settings that might give you mixed results with the monitor you are viewing on if you want the optimal image quality. Try using the settings at the bottom of the page first before altering the cameras standard settings.

In order to get the optimal use out of your IP camera(s) first review and understand the following areas:

Brightness

Makes the video feed brighter or darker. Use this when the whole picture is dark, or bright. Make sure the other lighting settings are where they are supposed to be before setting the brightness higher or lower.

Contrast

Difference in luminescence or color that makes an object distinguishable, this varies from blending to separating hue.

Saturation

Difference in black and white to full color. This can cause issues when compressing an image since it takes more information to process colors.Also if the picture is over-saturated then it will also cause blurry or artifacting pixels which will cause less compression in the image to occur.

Sharpness

The edge contrast among its surroundings, this can blur or define details in an image. The sharper the image the more noise it will create in a moving image. This causes the compression to render more of the image which results in a larger bit stream and saved file size.

Gamma

A nonlinear lighting adjustment used to eliminate blinding whites and absolute dark areas. Think of this like brightness with contrast included, and use it to accent darker areas as a fine adjustment.

Anti-Flicker

Used for lights (mostly florescent lights) to sync up the rate at which they pulse. This is used if you see indoor lights flickering on the camera

Exposure

Auto - this will automatically adjust the exposure time and the gain (aka ISO) for the average lighting setting in the area.
Low Noise - This setting will maximize the gain for the ideal exposure. Low Noise Basically turns up the ISO to the best setting without sacrificing exposure timing.
Low Motion Blur - This setting will maximize the fastest shutter speed, and will sacrifice the gain in return.
Manual - This setting lets you select your shutter speed and have the gain adjust automatically. Selecting customized range will let you both the shutter speed an adjust the gain manually.

White Balance

The process of removing unrealistic color casts. It is an adjustment so white colors seem white in certain warm or cool lighted areas:

Auto: adjusts for the best setting of the whole picture.
Sunny: adjusts for very bright environments like a sun lit area.
Night: adjusts for a darker environment
Outdoor: adjusts for outdoor lighting settings
Customized: lets you balance out the blue and red color yourself

Day and Night

Used to determine when black and white mode is turned on in a dark environment.

Color: always represents picture in color, does not use IR or black and white mode. Performs poorly in dimly lit areas unless you are using the Starlight series cameras.
Auto - Uses D&N Sensitivity setting to change between color mode and infrared

and black and white mode.

Black & White - Always sets picture to black and white, however when

illumination is too dark it switches on IR mode.

If you selected Auto in the above setting you will see:

D&N Sensitivity

Low, Middle, and High modes are light thresholds to change Day and Night settings automatically.

D&N Delay

The delay in seconds (2-10) when lighting conditions change for Day and Night.

BLC Mode

Backlight compensation is a feature that camera companies have been utilizing for some time now. To read more about BLC modes http://www.imaxcampro.com/Troubleshoot/What_Is_WDR_AWB_AGC_BLC_HLC

OFF: BLC render mode is off
BLC: backlight compensation: Default will use the whole image to balance the lighting settings, and Customized will allow you to balance the lighting settings from the target area.
WDR: Wide Dynamic Range makes multiple scans of a scene to provide one balanced and unwashed image that is clear for the user.
HLC:Highlight compensation is a feature that came out of necessity due to overexposure from strong light sources like headlights or spotlights.
SSA: automatically lowers the brightness of bright area and increases the brightness of dark area according to the environmental lighting.

Mirror

Mirrors image on the vertical axis

Flip

Flips the screen clockwise, 90, 180, or 270 degrees

3D NR

This threshold is mainly for multi-frame (at least 2) image processing. It reduces noise with info between a frame and previous frame. The higher the value, the better NR will be. NR level ranges from 0 to 100. The recommended value to from 40 to 60 where the default value is 50.

Profile Management tab

Normal which applies the day and night settings automatically
Full time which lets you choose day or night time.
Schedule which you can set day and night on the camera by time.

OSD Camera Settings on PTZ's

You can access the PTZ's on screen display menu by clicking menu in the web 3.0 browser, or in live view on the NVR or HCVR. The settings are as follows:

Select the CAMERA SETTING area of the menu:

WB Setting